Wild Card
by KrossWinter
Summary: His seal had one flaw. Elizabeth exploited that flaw, and gave him a second chance at life. Waking up in Inaba, Minato realizes the world still needs his help. He was the variable no one foresaw. But what can you expect of the Wild Card? P3-P4
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Shin Megami series.

* * *

She was humming a merry tune as she walked through the encompassing darkness around her. She had found him after all this time. A year of searching was all it took too. A year of dark solitude, whispered nothings, and loneliness had finally led her to him.

She stopped her humming as she came to stop in front of a large golden gate, with eyes spinning madly and looking everywhere at once. A large statue stood in front of it. It was truly magnificent. Crafted from the very soul of the Wild Card.

Stepping forward, she stopped moving when a sword lunged out of the darkness, slicing right past her head. Slowly, a familiar figure emerged from the darkness, and the woman let a small smile grace her lips.

"Pharos...Or should I call you Thanatos? You are a loyal one, to stay by him when he is fading away." she said, reaching out to caress the Persona's cheek. "How has he been?"

A brief sense of calmness filled her, before leaving. "So he's understanding of what he did? He's willing to stay here for all eternity, never moving on?" Once again, the calmness filled her. Thanatos had yet to sheath his sword. "They miss you dearly. Her especially."

Here, the gate almost seemed to groan, and Thanatos stepped back, sheathing his sword. A quick sense of curiousness filled her. "They're all doing fine. None have forgotten what you've done, and are doing all they can to make it easier for you."

Silence overlapped the darkness again, and she stepped up to the statue. "Your seal is flawed, did you know that?"

Amusement rushed through her.

"I'm not lying. They believed that your consciousness faded away. It hasn't. You thought you'd have to be constantly aware of what was happening for the seal to function. You just made it weaker." She held a hand up, as if to touch the statue, before Thanatos drew his sword and placed it at her neck. "You let him guard this place, when you told him that he could've gone on." She faced the embodiment of Death. "You're admirable, Thanatos. Guarding him despite the fact you don't have to."

Confusion poked her in the leg, and she turned back up to the statue. "Why am I here? Oh that's easy to answer. I'm here to offer you a choice." She heard the scraping of sheath on sword, and placed her hand on the statue. "I'm offering you another chance at life. It's been a year. It's currently April 28th, 2011. I'm offering you the chance to go back."

A gust of worry filled her, and she chuckled before saying, "I've got it covered. I've got a plan. But I need to know if you want this chance."

Joy filled her lungs, and she gave a sad smile. Thanatos was still watching her with careful eyes. "Very well then. I need you to trust me though. I've pulled your body to the state that it was in when you started the seal. Just go with the pull."

A few minutes later, a gasp broke the silence of the darkness, followed by a large cracking sound, leading me to look at the statue, to see it crumbling to pieces only for another to take its place. I received only one small farewell from the woman who spent a year to look for me.

'The seal needed your mind. I love you, Minato.'

Looking at the statue, I could only whisper, "Elizabeth..." before letting darkness consume me...

* * *

My lungs burned. My eyes watered. My muscles screamed. I felt stretched thin. But it was both old and new to me. I had not felt pain in such a long time. I had not felt the air in my lugs, nor the water on my eyes in time unmeasured. Struggling to my feet, I took in my surroundings.

Street lights could be seen through the pouring rain. I was somewhere with civilization then, obviously. I was disoriented, and could barely stand straight. But I took peace in the knowledge I had my clothes on, but not my Gekkoukan High uniform, and Thanatos with me. I began stumbling my to the closest light, and let my tired body slam against the door and slide down it.

I barely registered the door opening a few seconds later, and a startled baritone voice calling for his son to call the medics...

**Hospital**

Light filled my vision, my senses returning to me. Groaning, I sat up, immediately wishing I hadn't. Pain exploded in my arms and legs, dots filling my vision as the pain coursed through me. I heard a startled gasp, and a voice calling for a doctor. I had to get out of here, Thanatos was urging me get out. There were people that needed my help. Gritting my teeth, a used my arm to push the nurse away, and broke out into a run down the hall.

_**Grant me control. Take rest. I'll get us there.**_

'Thank you, my friend.' I said in my mind, as I let Thanatos to take over my body.

I was vaguely aware of what was happening, as Thanatos rushed down the stairs, jumping out the window on the first floor. He broke out into a sprint, ignoring the ambulance sirens behind him as he jumped up onto a fire escape, kicking in a window. The apartment was empty, and alarm entered me as I asked, 'Thanatos, what are you doing? This is breaking and entering!'

_**I'm getting us to where we need to go.**_ He growled, before jumping towards the tv against the wall.

I'll never forget that falling sensation.

* * *

Teddie was standing outside of the castle, his mind worrying over his Sensei and his two friends. They encountered a Yukiko's shadow, and no matter how many times they got up, it beat them back down. At this rate, their bodies would give out and they would die. And he couldn't do anything to help them…

His senses flared as he felt another person enter the world, and panic began to fill him. Had another person been put in? This quickly? There was a window of time between the two girls! He turned away from the castle, while still paying enough attention to it to know if his friends were alright. When he turned, he saw a body fall from the sky, somersault, and spring towards the castle.

Needless to say, Teddie was shocked. The person, it appeared to be a boy, jumped towards one of the castle walls, and began to climb it like a spider.

"…What the…?"

* * *

Yuu grit his teeth, as he looked at Chie and Yosuke, they were down on their knees, panting. Both of them had injuries that were taking their toll on them. While neither of them were as badly injured as he was, Yuu could only realize in grim understanding that he was the last one standing. Yukiko's Shadow was laughing haughtily as shook her cage. They couldn't die…

A crash drew everyone's attention to a shattered window, as somebody rolled in. Standing up, Yuu was shocked to see it was another teenager, probably not any older than he was. But what really threw him was the hospital gown he was wearing.

I realized one thing throughout Thanatos' rampage. Despite the condition my body was in, I couldn't feel any pain. But I filed that away, I would ask Thanatos about it later. I felt control over my body leak back to me, and I took a look at my surroundings. The air felt like the same kind that was in Tartarus, and there was a very big shadow bearing down on three people, who were all staring at him with varying degrees of shock.

Looking at the grey haired boy, who seemed like he was on his last legs, I walked over to him. Offering my hand, I pulled him to his feet. "Arisato Minato."

I felt his eyes on me, before he panted, "Narukami Yuu…"

I let go of his hand, and turned to the shadow. "You seem to be having trouble. Let me take over from here." I grabbed the sword he had let go, and silently thanked the Kendo club. I took up the familiar stance, and faced the giant bird.

I heard a voice ring out through the castle chamber. "Sensei! There's a mysterious boy in the castle! I don't know if he's an enemy or…oh. He's already there."

Ignoring it, I looked at the shadow in the eyes. I felt Thanatos call out to me.

_**Bring me out! Let me tear it apart! I'll show it how weak it really is!**_

'Thanatos, I don't have my evoker. It was with my clothes.'

_**You don't need it. Just call me.**_

I had learned not to doubt him. Reaching deep within my soul, I felt him out and called him out.

I knew what happened then would stay in the minds of the teenagers. I had seen it with the Magician Arcana Shadow, but they probably had never seen such savagery. Thanatos materialized, and lunged at the shadow, sword drawn. It pierced its neck, before running through the wall. Thanatos reached around, and tore out the shadow's wings. They evaporated into blood red wisps. Then, he broke the cage apart, bending the metal so it would impale the shadow. Only when he pulled his sword from its neck, did the persona stop its assault. That didn't stop him from stepping on the smaller shadow standing next to it.

I stopped to watch as the shadow began to dissipate into blood red wisps. When I fully disappeared, I turned to the grey haired boy, Yuu I think he was, and beckoned for Thanatos to heal him, along with the other two.

I felt fatigue over take my body, and a feeling of falling over took me. I heard Thanatos in my head, saying, _**Rest. The grey haired one knows what shall be done.**_

Sleep over took me, and I knew no more.

* * *

Igor's eyes snapped open, and he lifted his head to look out the window. A small frown was on his face, and Margaret grew worried at her Master's expression. "What is wrong, my Master?"

The frown slowly grew into a maniacal grin, and he said to her, "It would seem that the Velvet Room shall have two guests, for the same quest. He truly is a Wild Card…"

* * *

A/N: My first persona fic, which is a crossover between P3:FES and P4.

**EDIT 6/15/12 - Changed Seta Souji to Narukami Yuu, effective through all chapters.**


	2. Chapter 2

Been a while, I know, but I'm finally around to updating. I'm going to try and do it more regularly now, so be patient.

* * *

Narukami Yuu was a calm guy by nature. Level headed, tried to see all the angles. His mother once joked about him becoming a police detective like his uncle, Dojima, he was so calm and insightful. He had already been designated amongst his friends as their leader for this attribute. But he had been very surprised, not quite shaken, when a mystery boy had showed up in Yukiko's castle, making quick work of the Shadow they had been having trouble with.

The boy had quickly collapsed afterwards though. From the ferocity of that…_beast_ he had unleashed, it was completely understandable as well. After the battle, he had sent Yosuke and Chie home with Yukiko, she would need the rest, while he called his uncle to come take them to the hospital. Dojima questioned him briefly, asking where he had found him. The grey haired teen said outside of Junes, in the pouring rain. The detective left it at that.

Now, Yuu found himself at the bed of the resting mystery hero after school, watching him through calculating eyes. Was he a threat? Was he here to harm more people? Unlikely, otherwise he wouldn't have intervened at the castle. An ally perhaps? Possibly, but Yuu doubted either Yosuke or Chie knew him.

The youth found himself leaning forward, learning the other teen's features. Yuu was intrigued by this new Persona user, an enigma. Was Arisato Minato his real name or an alias?

Yuu took a peek at the file heading at the end of the bed. "Tsk. John Doe. Damn." He looked up to make sure no one was coming in, and took a more in depth look at the file. What he saw made his eyebrows rise.

Cracked ribs galore, internal bleeding, fractures in both legs and particularly his right arm. Minor concussion. Did all of this happen from his romp into the other world? That didn't seem likely, he had appeared quite collected, bodily wise, in the castle. Prior injuries then.

A groan from the bed in front of him pulled Yuu out of his musings as he turned his attention to the enigma, the puzzle, the challenge.

Light leaked back into my senses as I became painfully aware of my injuries, and how I desperately wished for Thanatos to mask the pain once more. Searching for him, I found him resting in the recesses of my mind. He must be tired too after all of the recent events.

Looking forward, I noticed the grey haired kid from before, Narukane? Narakase? I can't remember, but he's looking at me with a look I'm not quite sure how to name. Scientific interest? Strategic? I tune out my own thoughts when he opens his mouth.

"Narukami Yuu, remember me?" he says, nodding his head in acknowledgement of my awakened state. "Quite the number of war stories you've got here." He held up a folder, probably reports of just why my chest feels like it was hit by the flat side of Shinji's axe.

"That bad huh? Certainly explains a lot." I rubbed away some of the sleep from my eyes with my left arm, the one not in a cast the size of my thigh. "So, what can I help you with? These aren't casts, just flesh wounds."

The guy, Narukami, gave a chuckle. "Monty Python, well played. I was hoping you could answer some questions of mine."

"Rather unorthodox, don't you think? I don't remember the Japanese police ever handing out junior detective badges." I'm not quite sure why I baited him.

Narukami let out a full laugh at that point. "Just missed the induction ceremony I'm afraid."

I let out a fake sigh, "Oh drat, did I? Guess I saved up all those box tops for nothing."

"There's always next week, you can join with the rest of class."

"I knew eating all those poptarts would come in handy."

"And come in handy they did, if you ate enough to become a junior lieutenant."

"Just call me Snorlax." I was beginning to wonder if I was on Vicodin.

"I'll keep a flute on me." Narukami said back, partaking in the nonsensical banter.

"Be sure it's not an ocarina."

"Because Japan is really Hyrule under a spell."

"Ganondorf." I say, holding up a finger to make him pause.

"Oh yes, right. Can't overlook that evil."

"Just like you can't overlook the evil of the Shadows." Narukami said back, bringing the humor to an intense stop. "Now, moving on a more serious note-"

"But I thought I was Sirius?"

"Horrible timing and a bad pun, tsk tsk. So, Arisato Minato your real name?" The grey haired kid asked, leaning back in his seat.

I regarded him for a bit, two could play at the analyzing game. He's ready to move, judging from his tense stance, but is confident enough that his guard is down. He thinks he has power to back up the confidence I realize. I prodded for Thanatos in the back of my mind, urging him awake.

_**You called for me?**_

'This boy is a Persona user, can you send out a probe, see how strong he is Thanatos?'

_**Child's play. **_

As Thanatos pooled his power around him to prepare for what I called a 'ping', I gave Narukami an affirmative answer, "Yes, my name is actually Minato, Arisato Minato."

"And what you did back there? That thing you pulled forth?"

_**Barely a newborn of a Persona, but he is…different. He is as you were.**_

"I reckon it was the sexier version of yours." I gave a cool smile at how his eyes narrowed, his brain visibly going a mile a minute behind his eyes. "I'll give you a hint you already know." I said, gesturing for him to come closer. He quirked an eyebrow, but complied. Not that I could injure him in my state.

He regarded me carefully. "On three."

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three."

"Persona." said the young man, while I gave a short chuckle. He glared at me before returning to his seat, knowing he fell for that one.

"Fine, fine, you win that round. But I really do need to know. People have been dying in this town, and I think it's connected to that world we first met in. If you can shed any light, it would be much appreciated."

I gave Narukami a regarding look. He wanted…very sensitive information about the Persona and the way they worked. I didn't know anything about these murders, but inner selves and Shadows I most definitely knew. I thought back on everything so far. SEES, Pharos, Nyx, the seal, Elizabeth, the strange castle…

Why did it feel as though everything in my life suddenly revolved around the Shadows? I was tired of them, the black ichor that composed their bodies, the masks, the corruption…

_**Those who are destined for battle often detest it the most.**_

'Thank you dear friend, for that wonderful fortune cookie-worthy quote.' I stared hard at the wall, contemplating everything. Narukami was still waiting on an answer. How old was he? He couldn't be out of high school, he doesn't need to be trying to solve murders.

'Just as we were.' I thought bitterly. I gave him my answer, "Alright, but you catch me up to everything here first."

* * *

"I'm back." Narukami said as he walked through the door."Nanako, is your dad back yet?"

"No." he heard her say. "There's food in the kitchen if you're hungry."

"Thank you Nanako, I'll come back down later." Narukami said as he went up to his room. Locking the door behind him, Narukami went to his desk and pulled out his laptop, Dojima suggested he get one for some fun and for the work.

Well, he would certainly be using it for work.

There were files on everybody on the internet, be they articles, school social sites, mentions of people on forums, there would be always be something. Narukami was personally disturbed by how much he could round up about himself on the internet. But tonight, he wanted to make sure. Izanagi was on edge the whole time in the hospital room,

"Now, let's see who you are…" Narukami said quietly, typing 'Arisato Minato' into the search engine.

After clicking and reading several different articles and sites, Narukami leaned back in his chair, his brain working quicker and quicker.

'What's a dead man doing walking around in Inaba?'

* * *

I awoke with a start, the world quickly coming into focus. It was dark, night time. But what caught my attention was the ethereal blue door at the end of my bed.

'Igor knows I'm back.' I realize, then I chuckled. "Of course he knows…" I muttered. I tried moving my legs off the bed, but only pain met that action. "Damn. Thanatos."

I heard him growl in my mind, indicating he was at the ready. 'Go and get me a wheel chair, would you? And don't be seen.'

_**Done. **_

Several minutes later, a wheel chair rolled into the room, seemingly by itself. I sat up, reaching for the handles and pulled it closer. Thanatos lifted me into the wheel chair, and I dismissed him back to my mind. I rolled forward, and opened the door.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." A voice to my left said. I turned to look at her. I was reminded of Elizabeth. "My name is Margaret. And I believe you already know my master."

"Igor."

"Welcome back. I had not anticipated having you as a guest once more, people usually only make use of the Velvet Room for one quest in life. It would seem you are destined to be unique in that design."

"So I take it you had nothing to do with Elizabeth coming to find me?"

It was Margaret who answered this, speaking before her master had the opportunity. "My younger sister went after you of her own volition. It would appear she succeeded."

I wince slightly, I can feel a minor bit of hostility from her. Just barely there, on the edge. Understandable. Her sister just sacrificed her entire being for a boy.

"As wonderful as it is to have you as a guest again," Igor said, breaking the tense atmosphere, "I'm afraid to inform you that we will be very limited in use to you. While you may have once been the Wild Card, that power is now in the hands of another. The personae you obtained in your last quest were cleared from the compendium upon your…believed death."

"So I have no compendium to draw from."

"That is correct. There are, however, a few persona that are only accessible to you. Thanatos is one, as well as Orpheus, since he could feel your return has decided to answer only to you. Messiah and Orpheus Telos are also again at your side, but ask you grow strong enough to handle them again."

I bite down on my lip, not liking this new development. I had been counting on having an army at my back, but now I had a handful of, admittedly powerful, persona who will not answer my call just yet.

"I'll take Orpheus for now then."

"He's already with you."

I feel him out in my mind, finding my first persona. 'Care to heal me up, Orpheus?'

As I felt Orpheus begin to cast dia repeatedly, I looked back at Igor. "So, Igor, where do you suggest I go from here?"

The hooked nose man only smiled.

* * *

A/N: And there is chapter 2. I hope you all enjoyed.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona.

Pure Momo – I've taken your review into account, and I'll try to make the differences into account. Hope that this chapter helps to cover some of what you pointed out. Thanks for the critique.

* * *

I walked out of Yasogami High, a folder tucked under my arm. Thankfully, the faculty bought the story I made about being homeschooled for the majority of my life, and that I would take any test they asked of me to show I was up to the standards I should be. I couldn't exactly say that I was excited to go back to school, but I didn't really have much else to do. Since I never technically completed high school, I figured it would be very unlikely that he would get a job if I asked around.

Looking up at the sky, I thought back to the castle and my conversation with the Narukami boy. Shadows, strange ones at that, were appearing. From their description, they reminded me of Pharos. These ones were much more aggressive however. Had Nyx managed to slip some of her power through the seal before Elizabeth took my place without me noticing? If that was the case, I'd have to move quickly; such abominations of human nature couldn't be allowed to exist.

_**And what of me, Minato?**_

'You've transcended such a thing, Thanatos. You're a Persona, not one of those creatures.'

_**But I was, once upon a time. I commend you for your viciousness however. Conviction, I feel, will be needed in the coming storm.**_

The clouds overhead flashed, a forewarning of a storm. I chuckled lightly, 'Had to go and jinx us, didn't you?' My mind, however, was still preoccupied with the information the other persona user had given me. A series of murders in the town, with the shadows playing some strange part in it all, and it was all tied to a world inside of a T.V.

'He's lucky I went through some strange shit in my life. No one else would've believed him.' I thought. 'Thankfully, it would seem that the shadows are confining themselves to that alternate dimension. That should reduce any casualties and damages this time around, eh Thanatos?'

The dark persona didn't answer me, deciding that it wanted to recede back into my mind for the moment. That was fine for the moment; it gave me time to think freely. Thanatos' presence always made it feel like a part of my mind was pre-occupied with something while the rest of it did something else.

"Hey, you must be new here," A voice called over to my left. It was a young man, dressed in what seemed to be the work uniform of the gas station. "Welcome to Inaba," said the young man, offering his hand. I shook it, not wanting to come off as rude.

"Thank you. I take it you work here?"

The man nodded, "Yeah. You looking for a job? We could always use the extra hand, and it'll help dull the boredom you find around here."

I contemplated his offer. It would certainly help me out; after all, I don't have any of the resources I did before. Having a job could help me rebuild my money reserves again…

I shook my head, "Sorry, but not today. I'm still trying to get settled in, figure everything out. Just enrolled in Yasogami you see, so I've got some catching up to do."

"Ah, well that's ok. I know that Master Daidara is looking for an extra hand, so you can also try him too," the boy said, before a horn interrupted their conversation. "Oops, sorry, have to go. It was fun talking to you though. Hope you get settled in nicely."

I simply nodded, and the boy went to go fill up the car. Master Daidara? Must be some kind of monk or somebody to be addressed with such respect. The sky gave one more ominous crack, and then the rain started to fall.

* * *

Yuu walked to school at a leisurely pace, choosing to enjoy weather of spring. The events of the conversation with the blue haired boy echoed in his mind, leaving him constantly thinking back to how small he felt back at the castle.

The power that Minato had wielded, with such ease too, seemed unnatural. It felt as though he had done before, time and time again. It made Yuu feel weak, and it reminded him that he almost failed his new found friends. Failure would result in all their deaths in that world, something Yuu could never allow to pass.

The school was in sight, and he made it with plenty of time to spare. When he walked through the door, he was mildly surprised to see Minato in a school uniform. He seemed to be looking around confusedly, trying to figure out where everything was.

"Oi, Arisato. You enrolled here?"

The blue haired youth looked back at him, "Narukami. I forgot you go to school here. Yes, I enrolled; I'm in class 3-1."

Yuu raised an eyebrow, "You're a year above me?" It was a strange concept to Yuu, interacting with someone who was his senpai. "Guess that makes you my senpai."

Minato shrugged, "Don't worry about it. I've never been one for honorifics. Don't bother tacking it on," he said, just before the bell for the first class rang. "That's the bell. See you around, Narukami."

Yuu watched the youth climb the stairs up to the third floor, his mind working quicker and quicker. All the people who had personas where now all in the same school. He had witnessed The staggering power behind Minato's persona, and it made Yuu wonder if he could get the youth on board with the rest of them to figure out who was causing these murders and to understand the shadow world.

Minato was a variable, however. Yuu couldn't shake the feeling that the man knew more than he was letting on about shadows. How could he go about getting Minato to share that knowledge though? A brokering perhaps? What information did Yuu have that could get Minato to share what he knew?

After all, the more cards Yuu knew were in the deck, the better he could prevent a repeat incident of Yukiko's castle from occurring.

* * *

"Run that by me again?" I asked, pausing in my sweeping of Master Daidara's shop. The blacksmith was busy in the back with his forge, hammer strikes ringing in the shop quietly from behind the closed doors.

The Narukami boy repeated himself, "A trade of information. I tell you of our conclusions in terms of the case, as well other things pertaining to the case, and you tell us what you know about the shadows."

I looked at him, contemplating his offer. It was plainly obvious why he wanted the information about the shadows; he wanted to further understand them, to be able to fight them better. He wanted to prevent something like before from happening. It was burning in his eyes, his resolve to grow stronger and protect those friends he made here.

"Well? Do we have an accord?"

Sighing, I beat my hands on my apron to remove the soot I swept up. If I gave him the information, information that he would only be able to find out through experience otherwise, it was likely he'd go back into the shadow world. If he did that, he would also drag the other three students with him should he go, as they would refuse not to go.

"What if I say no?" I ask, moving over to the fires that fueled the forge in the next room over. "Say I deny you my knowledge of the shadows, should I have any, what would you do?"

The Narukami boy clenched his fists, but relaxed them after a couple of seconds. He expected that response, but hoped otherwise. "Then I would have no choice but to continue increasing my offer until you consider it a worthy exchange."

There is little that he could tell me that I hadn't already figured out. After I got back to the people who were giving me board for the time being, I had looked up the murders and asked about them. Yamano Mayumi had stayed at the Amagi Inn, and Ms. Konishi had discovered the body. Konishi attended Yasogami, where Amagi Yukiko went to school. That effectively formed a triangle between the victims, but it was overall a weak connection at best. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something though, something incredibly pertinent to the case.

"Well?" the grey haired youth asked, masking the impatience I knew he was starting to feel. He desperately wanted that information.

I set the poker down, and dusted off my knees. "No," I said, looking him dead in the eye, "I won't tell you what I know. Just know that it is far more than what you can handle, despite what you think. Neither you nor your friends are strong enough to combat the threat I believe this to be. You've done enough by rescuing Ms. Amagi, and I commend you for that," I looked at the clock, noting that my shift was done and that Daidara would be back from the forge soon. "But at this point, it is best you stay out of it. All of you."

As I walked past him, it became more and more apparent that I would have to drive the point that he was incapable of dealing with Nyx, whether Narukami knew it may be her behind the shadows or not.

"Wait a moment, Arisato."

I sighed, and turned around again. Narukami was standing there, a harder resolve in his eyes. "Like I said, this is something you are ill-prepared for. Forget about that world and get on with your life. I'll take it from here." I was much stronger than he and his friends were together; I was far more capable of dealing with the threat Nyx's infiltrators posed.

"I'll sweeten the deal." Narukami said, narrowing his eyes at me. "Tell me what you know, or I report to my uncle that a previously dead man is roaming around Inaba."

I could feel Thanatos stirring in my mind, a predatory grin on his face. "That's bold of you," I said, crossing my arms, "And how, might I ask, did you discover this?"

"The internet is a wonderful thing. Look hard enough, you can find anything."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Indeed, so it would seem…"

_**You could put him in his place right now. Show him that you are not be trifled with.**_

'There would be little point in that; he would only get up again, with twice as much resolve. I'll play this cautious, find out how much he knows without giving up anything too critical.'

"Well, Arisato? Tell me what you know, or have the cops knocking at your door. We need the information you have. If you do not tell us, then at least help us. Otherwise, you leave me no choice."

I contemplated what he said, the idea of working with persona users again. The wind blew harshly for a moment, before settling down again. "Narukami, you've put a rather threatening trap in front of me it would seem. We'll talk again later; I have to think on this."

He walked away, heading south out of the shopping district. I watched him go, giving him a grudging respect in the position he had me in now.

'So…he is the one who has inherited the Fool…I suppose there are worse places for it to be. Thanatos…'

_**What?**_

'Looks like you're going to be getting to fight those shadows like you wanted to.'

* * *

Yuu let out a big breath as he rounded the corner, putting more and more space between him and the older male. While they were both similar in aspects, Arisato was much more familiar and comfortable with conflict than Yuu was that much he could tell. He was half afraid of being tackled and threatened to withhold that information.

As he boarded the bus back to the residential district, Yuu thought back on the developments of the past couple of days. The biggest development was what just happened, the battle of information between the youths. But there had been others as well, such as how Yuu had joined the basketball team, and how he had deepened his friendship with Yosuke. The former had resulted in a new bond, the Strength Arcana, and he could feel his Magician arcana growing stronger.

Thinking back, it was all Yuu could do now to relax and see how Minato would respond. Yuu had played his hand much earlier than he intended, but it worked to a satisfactory degree. The ball was in Minato's court now.

Yuu only hoped that the blue haired man would take the olive branch he offered instead of the arrows.

* * *

A/N: Thus spoke KrossWinter. Hope you enjoyed it.

Review, I'll try to get the next chapter up faster in the mean time.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Chapter 4. Up faster than you thought...

* * *

I heard the laughter before I saw them. The Narukami boy, along with the other Persona users, had just walked into the food court at Junes. I had asked around, and found out this is where they liked to meet up with one another. Standing, I approached the grey haired boy, noting with mild amusement the laughter stopped as I was noticed.

"Alright Narukami," I said, walking towards him, "I'm in. Remember our agreement though."

The other behind looked confusedly at each other, but were otherwise silent. The Narukami boy nodded, and gestured at a table, "Shall we all get down to business then?" he said, with the others turning more serious at this part. He had their respect, it would seem. "Yosuke, can you recap everything for us?"

The earphones boy, Yosuke, nodded. "So far there have been three victims, Yamano Mayumi," the boy paused and seemingly struggles with the next words, "Saki, and Yukiko. Yamano stayed at the Amagi Inn, Saki discovered her body, and we all attend the same school as Saki. Further still, Yukiko works at the Inn. Throw in that they're all girls, we have our link."

I remained silent, already having pieced that information together. The killer was looking like some kind of chauvinist so far. Narukami spoke up again, "So we can expect the next victim will be female as well. Do you all have any ideas of who it might be?"

The other girl, Chie I think her name was, shook her head, "No, but the Midnight Channel will come on in the next couple of days. If things stay as they have been, we should be able to figure out who it might be."

Yosuke sighed, "That's only if they've been taken already, otherwise it's all fuzzy. Yukiko, do you really not remember anything, anything at all? A face, voice, something?"

The girl shook her head, "No, I don't. I'm sorry I can't be of more help."

The Narukami boy smiled at her, "It's alright Yukiko, don't try and force it. It's fine if you don't remember, we'll figure something out." He turned to look at me, "You've been silent this whole time, what do you think of it all?"

"We'll all come to the same conclusions as to the connection between the victims," I said, leaning back in my chair, "And so far, our killer is looking like a male, likely chauvinistic. All of the victims are attractive in their own right," I noticed Yukiko blush out of the corner of my eye, "So he may have also gone after them for a more sinister purpose. We know for a fact that nothing happened to Yukiko other than the kidnapping, and details such as rape would have been reported."

Narukami nodded, looking deep in thought. It was obvious that he was trying to match names to the profile I made. "Anybody come to mind?" I ask.

"No, not really," the grey haired boy said. "What about you guys?"

"Nobody."

"Nada."

"I'm afraid not."

I sighed, "Well, so there is no suspect." I stood up to leave, feeling that there was nothing else to talk about. "I'm going to head to work; Master Daidara said he wanted to teach me how to use the forge. Narukami," I said, tossing him a piece of paper I pulled from my pocket. "I'll be working on getting a cell in the next couple of days. Write your number down and give it to me later."

"Right…" he said, "We'll meet up again here soon. I'll let you know when. Also, I haven't forgotten about that information."

Damn. I had hoped he had.

* * *

"Oh man, that feels good," I said, lying down in my bed. Master Daidara was really being too nice to me. You produce one amazing sword and all of the sudden you're an apprentice, not the hired help. Not that I was complaining though.

The rain beat outside the window, and the street lights could barely be seen through the darkness. I turned on my side to look at the clock, "11:24. Another half hour before it comes on."

I popped my neck, and then looked up at the ceiling. My thoughts drifted back to the days at Gekkoukan, and the group. Akihiko, Junpei, Yukari, Shinji…All of them. There was another, however, who lingered longer on my mind though. Long red hair and pale, delicate skin. I remember her eyes, a shade of brown, looking deep into mine that last winter we had together. I wondered where she was, how she was doing. Did she remember me, or had she moved on with her life?

I chuckled, and combed a hand through my hair. You don't easily move on from personas and the shadows, it would seem, at least in my case. Standing, my back popped a little, and I walked over to my box of things I had yet to unpack. I fished through them, finding the key to a bike that hadn't been ridden in a long time. I had them in my pocket during the final fight, and the hospital had taken them when I first arrived here.

I couldn't help but wonder if I would see her again, or if it would be wise for me to see her at all. She has long thought me dead, so would it only cause her pain and confusion to see me otherwise? What if she had moved on, and found another to hold her where I couldn't, when I was holding up the seal?

_**Then take her back. No point in over thinking it. Take her back if that's the case.**_

'It's never that simple Thanatos. I may never actually see her again, so perhaps these thoughts are pointless.'

_**You're being weak. Stiffen your spine and make your decision as about what you're going to do. Find her and take her back, or don't. **_

Thanatos receded from my mind, showing he had no more interest in listening to what I had to say. Who knows if I was being weak or not; I didn't particularly want to think about it. Regarding the keys again, I put them back in the box.

Thoughts of Mitsuru and memories of a time long passed swirled in my head when a sound, akin to that of a radio tuning, caught my ear. Daidara had a small, old television in this room, one that only got the basic channels. Well, apparently it got the Midnight Channel too.

The screen was out of focus, and fuzzy. The image was hard to see, but the person was seemingly male. Short hair, tall, muscular, maybe lean. Just as I tried to lean in closer, to make out more details, maybe see the face, it was gone.

* * *

'Could it have been that biker guy?' Yuu thought, staring intently at the now black TV screen, the rain pattering against the ground outside his window. 'They certainly looked similar, so maybe he is? But that doesn't fit the profile of the victims.'

Yuu cast a look at his phone, wondering if he should call Yosuke and discuss what he saw. Thinking it could wait until later, Yuu decided not to. They could all discuss it the next day at Junes.

Thinking back on his group, Yuu let his thoughts drift to their new, supposedly, member. Minato was a quiet guy when he was trying to get information, trying to absorb things from around him without having to show his own hand. Yuu saw how the older boy's eyes darted about during their conversation, taking in every word with detail.

The guy was an enigma so far; Yuu didn't know where he came from, how he got his abilities, nor how he knew the things he knew. It set him off, an unknown variable of that sort wandering around in a situation as serious as this was. It also roused Yuu's anger and pride when Minato talked patronizingly to him when he was at Master Daidara's shop.

Yuu laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He would get the information about the shadows and that other world tomorrow, but for now he needed rest; figuring out to deal with Minato could come later.

* * *

"So, we all agree it was this Kanji fellow?" I said, crossing my arms as we all sat in the Junes food court. "That shatters the female only theory."

"Yes," Narukami said, folding his hands in front of his chin, "It renders it useless. Does anyone here know if link there is between Kanji and Yukiko though?"

The black haired girl spoke up, "My family often buys materials from their shop; they run a textile shop near the shrine."

"Oh, I know the one you're talking about, it's up near Daidara's, isn't it?" Chie asked.

A bark of laughter escaped from Yosuke, "Chie, everything is up near Daidara's and the shrine."

"He's right," Narukami said, partaking in the fun. "So, let's all go up there. Best we start trying to figure out why someone would go after Kanji."

I stayed silent during the bulk of conversation up to the shopping district, watching the interactions between the teens. The relationships between them were all that of friends, nothing more. But I can see the potential for more in his actions. Narukami inherited the Wild Card, after all. He has the ability to forge social links.

'I feel old, Thanatos. Looking at them, I can't help but wonder if this kind of light heartedness is what we would've had without Nyx.'

_**Yet you're also glad you had Nyx to deal with, aren't you?**_

'Yes, that is true. If we're lucky, they won't have to deal with something of that magnitude.' I thought, 'Perhaps they'll only have to deal with a rogue Persona user like Takaya. I hope that is all.'

_**Takaya barely put up a fight in the end though. You may hope for an easy road for them, but I hope that at least there will be something for us to handle. **_

'You'll have your fun, Thanatos.' I thought, smiling at my old friend's aggression. "So," I said as we came to a stop in front of the textile shop, "This is the place, huh?"

We all entered the store, making it a very crowded place. As we entered, another young man, dressed in blue, left. Yosuke was nervously glancing around all the while Narukami and Yukiko talked to Mrs. Tatsumi. "Yosuke," I said, bringing his attention to me, "Is something wrong? You haven't stopped fidgeting since we got here."

"Dude, what if Kanji shows up? He beat up a biker gang all by himself and became their boss and – " he said, seemingly growing more and more panicked.

"Oh, has my Kanji been causing problems for you all?" said the elderly woman, smiling apologetically in my direction. "Those boys used to ride their bikes around here at night, and I told Kanji how I couldn't sleep. Next thing he does is picks a fight with them." Her eyes shine gently with the thought of her son, despite his actions, "He's really a sweet boy, so I'm sure he didn't mean to offend you if something happened."

I withdrew myself from the conversation, and stepped out of the store. This Kanji guy was reminding me of Shinji so far, tough guy exterior, nice guy interior.

"Speak of the devil…" I muttered as I saw the blonde man come walking up the hill. "Kanji, I presume?" I asked, approaching him.

He seemed thrown off that he was actually called by name, judging by his widened eyes. His glare soon returned as I got closer. "Yeah? What's it to you?"

"My name is Arisato Minato. I'm a recent transfer student, you and I attend the same school."

"So? I should care why? Get outta here."

I hold my hands up in a placating matter. He reminded me a LOT of Shinji. "I just want to know if you've seen anyone weird wandering around town, following you maybe."

"No, I haven't. Now beat it!" the youth said violently, glaring all the harder at me. I gave him a smile, and walked on my way.

Turning back, I saw Kanji talking to the young man in blue, and then turn and yell at Narukami and the others.

* * *

Yuu leaned against the fence to the shrine, Yukiko and Minato waiting with him as Chie and Yosuke trailed Kanji and the blue dressed man. Yukiko was trying to make friendly conversation with the older male, who only responded with short, but polite, answers.

When the blue haired man went to go sit down on the steps, Yukiko walked over to Yuu. He couldn't help but notice how tense she was. "Scared?" asked Yuu, who looked off at the entrance to the shrine. Minato was minding his own business and keeping quiet.

"A little," Yukiko said, "But it's outweighed by my want to do something."

A smile, comforting in nature, graced Yuu's lips. "It'll be ok, don't be nervous."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes." Came the blunt voice from Minato from his position on the steps. "But you really shouldn't be. Kanji is a wrecking ball, it's incredibly unlikely we'll see the killer in a direct confrontation. And Narukami and I are both here, so you're safer than Yosuke is with Chie."

Yuu noticed as a small smile dawned on Yukiko's face, where she had previously been worried about the outcome of the day. Minato went back to regarding the gray clouds that rolled through the sky, a sign it was going to rain soon.

"That's not it though," Yukiko said, drawing both boy's attention to her, "It's just…I've never been alone with guys my age before."

Both males stared at the black haired girl, before she further elaborated on her reasoning for feeling uncomfortable. When Yuu got around to asking for her number for the investigation, he could see Minato mouthing: 'Smooth, Romeo. Reeeeeal smooth.'

Yuu added a revenge prank on Minato on his list of things to do.

* * *

There it is. Review, please, it's incentive to keep going.

Also, I want it to be known I'm looking for a beta/someone to bounce ideas of off for this thing. Review and mention if you're interested.


	5. Chapter 5

Here we go, chapter 5…

Big thanks to everyone who reviewed – Pure Momo, Spear-of-the-Doomed, PrinceNoctis, Sacchin, RaintheLingeringSentiment, Twinkle Ace, Fayneir, Yuri18, and Tsuki500, just to name a few.

Pure Momo – I took your tip into consideration, so you may notice a significantly more amount of dialogue. I also aimed to flesh out the differences between Minato and Yuu a bit more, along with showing their vices and habits.

Spear-of-the-Doomed – Well, if I made him that observant, it would defeat the purpose of the story, wouldn't it?

* * *

My earlier suspicions about Kanji being the next victim were solidified the next night. The rain was coming down hard, and a crack of lightning illuminated the street. My television flared to life as the minute hand on my watch struck midnight.

"Here we go…" I muttered to myself, preparing myself for what might see. This might be the first time I saw the midnight channel in clear focus, so I didn't know what to expect.

The screen was…fogged over? I couldn't quite tell, but I knew that this was the midnight channel. Soon, Kanji appeared, and I was instantly aware that something was wrong.

Kanji…was only wearing a towel.

I blinked, "Is he in a bathhouse?" I asked the air, confusion overtaking my thought process. "Why the hell is he in a bathhouse?"

My confusion escalated to discomfort when Kanji started talking, reaffirming my suspicion that something was very wrong with him. There was a blush on his cheeks, and he seemed hot and bothered.

"Hel-LO, dear viewers…It's time for 'Bad, Bad Bathhouse'!" he said, striking a pose. I wished I could record this. When we got Kanji out of…wherever he was, I'd have blackmail for life.

"Tonight," he continued, "I'll introduce a superb site for those searching for sublime love that surpasses the separation of the sexes!" Kanji has a determined look on his face, and there is a round of clapping that can be heard.

"Are people watching this live?" I wondered. I'd have to ask Narukami next I saw him; find out more about the channel.

"I'm your host, Tatsumi Kanji, serving you this scandalously special sneak in report. Goodness gracious, just imagine the things that might happen to me there! Oooh! Well then, let's get this show on the road! Tootaloo!"

Two things kept coming back to my mind:

One – the Kanji I met yesterday would never have been caught saying 'Goodness gracious'.

Second – Why the hell was he in a bathhouse?

* * *

Yuu stared at his now black TV, the lightning illuminating his room in between rumbles of thunder. It was now without a doubt – Kanji had been taken to the TV world, they hadn't been able to do anything.

His cell phone lit up and began vibrating, and Yuu saw that Yosuke was calling him. Sighing, he picked it up.

"Hello?"

"What the – I mean, come on!"

"Calm down, Yosuke. I saw it too. Kanji was taken." Yuu said, sitting back down on his couch. His brain was wondering why Kanji's world was shaped like a bathhouse; it would be representative of the problems that the rebel teen was repressing.

"Y-Yeah, you're right." Yosuke began to calm down, "What in the world was that? I mean... Dammit, it's exactly what we were trying to stop. If we had just hung around a little longer…And what was with that place behind him? A 'superb site for those searching for sublime love'?"

"If we stayed any longer then we would've aroused more suspicion, and our families would have rounded us up. We tried to warn him and head of the kidnapper, but we failed. We'll talk about it tomorrow Yosuke. I don't want to think about tonight."

Yosuke sighed over the phone, "Yeah, you're right. See you in the morning."

However, sleep was one of the further things from his mind. Yuu ended the phone call, and then looked through his contacts for Arisato's number. He wanted to talk to him and plan their next course of action.

Lightning lit up the room, followed by a deep boom of thunder. The phone was ringing, and ringing, and ringing.

* * *

I looked down at my phone, using my hand to block it from the rain. Narukami was calling me, for the second time that night, probably wanting to talk about the channel and what we both saw. While what they saw was admittedly concerning, it wasn't going to change Kanji's situation or the threat, talking about what they should do.

I put the phone back in my pocket and continued running to Junes. The store was open late, I knew, but I wasn't even sure if it closed. Master Daidara didn't have a large enough TV for me and the sword I was carrying to fit inside. That left me one option.

Junes was a bastion of light, able to be seen even through the sheets of rain coming down. I'd get Kanji out, I was best suited for it. I had experience and power on my side. Narukami and his friends, despite their good intentions, would only get hurt. That left things up to me.

'Thanatos, how did you get me to that world last time? I know it's in the TV, but what all did you do?'

_**I put you through it. It is a doorway, not a wall.**_

I slid the blade and its sheath into my pant leg, and slipped past the metal detectors. I walked as nonchalantly as I could back to the electronics section, and found a TV large enough for me to get through.

My phone buzzed again, and I looked back down at it. Narukami, once again, was trying to call me. My fingers pushed the ignore button, and I put the phone back in my pocket. We didn't know how long the victim had in the TV, or even if the time it took to kill them was varied or was constant. It would be best to move now, and save Kanji.

I eyed the TV carefully, and then put my hand on the screen and gave it a push. A smirk overcame my face as my hand went through. My body and the sword followed, and I felt a falling sensation. Suddenly, my feet came in contact with the ground and I was in the TV realm.

'Alright Thanatos, can you point me in the right direction?' I asked, pulling the sword back out of my pant leg.

_**To your left, and then straight on. There's an abnormal number of beasts there.**_

'You'll get your fight, Thanatos. I promise.' I said, running off in the direction he told me.

* * *

Yuu eyed his phone carefully, making sure that it was actually working. He tried calling again, thinking maybe Arisato hadn't heard him. The phone rang again, again, and rang once more. The voicemail answered him again.

"This is Minato. Leave a message."

The beep sounded, and Yuu closed his phone again. That was the third time he called, and the other young man hadn't picked up. Thunder boomed across the sky, followed by another lightning strike.

"I'll give it one more shot. He may have gone to sleep." Yuu said, dialing the number one more time. The phone rang once, then stopped.

"We're sorry, the number you have called is currently unavailable. If…" the automated voice carried on, and Yuu hung up the phone.

Arisato was without cell service? But the phone had just been ringing a couple minutes ago…Getting up, Yuu looked out his window, trying to find the local cell tower. The rain fell in thick sheets though, preventing him from seeing anything other than the street light below.

"Maybe," Yuu said, "the storm knocked down communications…We'll see in the morning."

* * *

"So you haven't seen Arisato either?" Yuu asked as the group gathered around for lunch.

"Nope," started Yosuke, "Seems like he isn't here. I asked the office, and none of the teachers have reported him present."

"Maybe he's down at Daidara's, we can go see after school." Chie supplied. "Anyways, so you guys watched the midnight channel last night?"

Yosuke sighed, "Yeah, and if we go by the pattern then Kanji is already inside…"

Yuu folded his hands, "Indeed," he said, "We can probably be certain that Kanji is inside the TV world now."

"What exactly is the midnight channel anyways?" Yukiko asked.

"At first, I thought it was just another rumor, one of those 'paranormal' things," Chie said, "But no, it had to be real…"

Yuu spoke up again, "If the rumor has gotten even further around town, more and more people are going to start watching it. And if they connect the dots between the Midnight Channel and the murders…"

Revelation dawned on Chie's face, "It would cause a mass panic."

Yu nodded gravely, "We have to move ASAP. We'll swing by Daidara's after school to grab Arisato, and then we'll head to Junes, that work for you guys?"

There was a scattered sound of 'Yeah' amongst the group, and then the bell sounded, sending them back to class.

* * *

"Well Teddie?" Yosuke asked, wondering if the bear had felt anyone in the TV world.

The bear's nose twitched a couple of times, before nodding, "Yep, someone is definitely here."

"Can you tell where he is?" Chie asked.

"I dunno…"

"His name is Kanji," Yukiko supplied.

"I dunno…" the bear replied again.

Yuu knelt down to the bear's level, "Are you alright? Feeling well?" Yuu asked, worry over taking him slightly. If Teddie couldn't sniff out the victims, then it would be significantly harder for them to save them in time.

"I sniff and sniff, but I can't seem to find him…"

"Well, is there any way we can help?" Yuu asked.

"Are you thinking too much on too many things?" Yosuke asked, "I mean last time you were wondering about who you really were and how long you've been here. Don't stress too much over stuff, your head is empty to begin with."

The bear nodded, but still looked downcast. Suddenly, he perked up a little bit, and turned to Yuu, "There is something that can be done! If you can tell me something about this Kanji person, a clue or something, I might be able to find him!"

Yuu frowned, "We barely know him, Teddie, but alright." Yuu stood up, and turned ot te rest of the group. "Do you guys have any ideas?"

Yukiko chimed in, "We can ask around town, for people that know Kanji-kun personally?"

Yuu sighed, "Alright. We'll split up tomorrow and ask around town. Is there anything else you need to tell us, Teddie?"

The bear furrowed his eyebrows, thinking hard, "There was a moment earlier when I thought I smelled another person in here, but then it disappeared. So I don't think it was actually anything; my nose has been acting weird."

Yuu filed this information away for later, and nodded at the bear. "We'll see you soon."

* * *

I was cutting through the shadows like they were nothing, I hadn't even had the need to call on Thanatos. I reached the bathhouse some time ago, I don't know how long, but I had climbed several floors. Kanji had been talking earlier, his voice resonating through the bathhouse, but now he had gone silent, and the only sounds were my panting and the yowls of pain as I cut through one shadow after the next.

I briefly thought back to how Narukami and his friends were thrashed against Yukiko's shadow, and I knew that he would've had to fall back a couple floors back. I was the only one who could get Kanji out of this in one piece.

"_Why is it always me?"_

I stopped running, and readied my sword. The voice had come out of nowhere, and no seemed to reverberate through the area. The steam was thick, and kept me from locating the source of the voice. I stood there for a minute or two, and then began to move forward, cautiously.

"_Why do I always have to bear the responsibility?" _

There it was again! I whipped around, scanning the steam as best I could, but to avail.

'Thanatos, can you sense anything?'

Strangely, the dark persona did not answer me, and the deeper I searched for his presence, the more dread began to fill me.

Thanatos was missing, seemingly gone. And in his place was an empty void, deeper than the abyss that I once resided in as the seal.

"_I'm tired of being the hero; can't I just be the normal one for once?"_

"Where are you!" I shouted into the steam, gripping the sword tighter. I gave a fatalist smirk in my mind, figuring that this was the feeling that every animal felt towards the end. That a predator was surrounding you but you couldn't tell where they were, was what every beast felt.

"_The world doesn't need saving if it needs a God damned TEENAGER to do the saving! Where are the adults in this world, huh!"_

I gritted my teeth, I didn't like where this was heading. Those words were sounding far too familiar, striking far too close to home.

"Show yourself, shadow!" I shouted into the steam. It had to be a shadow, only they knew how to screw with someone to this degree. Was it an arcana shadow? Magician? Emperor, maybe? Tower?

"_I just want to be normal…Let someone else be the hero; let someone else be the support pillar…I just want to be normal…"_

I swallowed thickly as the steam cleared, revealing a teenager my height, with blue hair, same clothes, and same posture. The singular difference between us was our eyes. Whereas mine were blue, that…thing had rotten yellow eyes.

The eyes of a shadow, and no matter what it looked like, a shadow was a shadow.

I gripped my sword harder, and rallied my courage. Thanatos or no, I couldn't fall back here. Kanji was in need of help higher up, and I was the only person who could get to him.

The shadow turned its sickly yellow eyes on me, and spoke with that same pitying voice, _"All we want is to be normal, right? Is that too much to ask? Haven't we done enough to warrant a break from playing the hero?"_The shadow's eyes seemed dull and lacked hope, yet held depths of anger, fiery and dangerous, _"We've done enough! We stopped Nyx, and died for it…The young had to die, WE HAD TO DIE! Yet that BITCH sent us back for round two of this hell! Forget the world, it can burn…It can know our anger, our rage! I am no martyr, I was a kid, a teenager…but they made me their chosen, their sacrifice…when it was all I wanted to be a normal person…"_

I took a step forward.

"_I'm tired of being the hero…"_

* * *

A/N: Well, there is chapter 5. Review.

EDIT: Changed Souji Seta to Yuu Narukami


	6. Chapter 6

Well, here we go…

Word of warning, there may be parts of the story where the point of view gets confusing. Let me reiterate myself.

**Yuu's POV is THIRD PERSON**

**Minato's POV is FIRST PERSON**

Keep that in mind and you'll keep things straight.

**Also, SETA SOUJI** **has been changed to NARUKAMI YU.**

* * *

Yuu walked into Junes, looking for the young man who he had seen talking to Kanji before. The day before, Adachi had told him that he might be here. Since Teddie couldn't find Kanji without more information, he needed to get information. The boy was just another possible source.

There was also the troubling matter of Arisato's recent disappearance as well. He had been missing for a couple of days now, and Daidara didn't have anything to say for it except for his confidence the blue haired teen would show up again at some point.

And though he would deny it, Yuu hoped that he would show up soon. Arisato's power was far above any that they, Yuu and his friends, commanded. The dark, foreboding persona he commanded tore Yukiko's shadow to pieces with ease, where it had been on the verge of killing them prior. Arisato's value as a strategic resource was not to be underestimated.

Then there he was, standing by the elevators; the boy Kanji had been talking to during the days prior. Yuu walked over to him, trying not to hurry. He had been looking for him for a while.

"Excuse me," Yuu said, catching the blue haired boy's attention, "You were talking to Kanji a couple of days ago right?"

The boy blinked and then said, "Yes, I was. Why?"

"Well," Yuu started, "I was wondering if anything seemed off when you were talking to him. He's been missing for a couple of days now, and I think you were one of the last people to talking to him."

"Ah, I understand," the boy said, nodding. "It seems like an urgent matter, so let me think for a moment…Yes, he was acting kind of strange when I was with him, so I outright told him was an odd person. His expression changed suddenly at that point, it was quite surprising. It would seem he has some sort of complex." The blue haired boy shrugged at this point. "Although, I have no proof, so I cannot make any conclusive judgments."

Yuu nodded at this, "Thank you," he said, "I don't know him very well, but that information helps a large degree. Thank you again." At that, he began to walk off, but Yuu decided it may serve him well to know the name of this person.

"Excuse me, but what was your name?" The blue haired person asked, beating him to the punch.

Yuu smiled politely, and stuck his hand out for a shake, "Narukami Yuu, yourself?"

"Shirogane Naoto. Good luck Narukami."

* * *

The group was once again in the TV world, Yuu having called them all together on short notice.

"Alright," Yuu began, "It would be best to hurry and get Kanji out of here, that way we won't have to worry about the shadows or him getting injured. Yosuke, any luck on finding Arisato?"

The brown haired teen shook his head, "Daidara hasn't seen him for a couple days now, it's like he dropped off the face of the planet. Cell phone won't work, none of the seniors have seen him…he went poof."

Yukiko jumped in at this point, "Teddie, didn't you say that it seemed someone had appeared for an instant when we were last here?"

"Yeah, it was the day before you came looking for Kanji. It was like a bright flare had been set off under my nose before suddenly disappearing," Teddie said, "It happened so fast I thought I imagined it."

Yuu grew very grim at this point, "Arisato may have been thrown in earlier. Though with his persona, he may very well be fine. Let's keep an eye for him as we proceed, try and link up with him. Teddie," Yuu said, focusing his attention on the bear, "I have some information about Kanji, are you ready?"

The bear puffed up, his pride surging at the job that was now in his charge, "You betcha!"

"Kanji might have a complex of some sort. Is that enough for you to work with or will we need to find more?"

"That's it, that's all you're giving me to work with? A complex?" the bear guffawed, "Fine, I guess I'll just have to sniff real deep and hard…Wait, I think I found him! And there's another vague presence there! Follow me!"

Teddie led the group through the fog, until it seemed to transform into something muggier, and they were standing at the entrance of a bathhouse.

"Man," Yosuke said, fingering at his collar, "It is really hot in here…"

"My glasses are fogging up…" Yukiko mumbled.

"C'mere, pussycat…Ooooh, such well defined pecs…"

Yosuke froze in place, as did Yuu. Everyone was now eyeing the entrance to the place with a wary eye, wondering if they had heard correctly.

"Uhhh…" Chie managed to get out after an awkward second passed.

"Come on now, just relax…" the voice reverberated again.

"W-Wait a sec! I don't wanna go in there!" Yosuke shouted, stepping back from the entrance, "Hey, Yuu, the girls can handle this one, right?"

Yuu eyed the entrance warily, resisting the urge to take a step back as well. As a grimace crossed his face, he said, "I don't want to go in there any more than you do, Yosuke, but we can't just leave the girls to do it alone. C'mon."

Yukiko looked back at Teddie, "Are you sure Kanji-kun is here, Teddie?"

The bear nodded, and pointed at his nose, "The nose knows."

"Oh man, I feel the sweat running down my back already…" Yosuke mumbled, following Yuu and Yukiko into the bathhouse.

Chie snorted, "That's because it's so hot…"

* * *

I growled in anger as I swung the sword again, the shadow dodging it once again. It was still pulling the mirror trick, impersonating me and spouting off nonsense. Thanatos hadn't answered my calls for him, and neither were any other of the persona Igor told me would only answer to my call.

"_You know what I speak is the truth, yet you shall not admit it. Why? Why are you afraid to tell the world about how you feel? Why are you afraid to tell them that this time, maybe you don't want to be the one they thrust all their fears and desperations on."_ The shadow weaved under a horizontal slash I aimed for his neck, "_Is it because you are afraid of what they might say? That they might reject or shun you? That you might have to abandon your 'friends' again?"_ The shadow gave out a harsh laugh.

I growled again, and lunged for him, sword poised to run him through. It had been going off like this for a long time, I had no idea how long I was in this world; it felt like a long time. As I finally drew near him, he pushed the sword to the side, and kicked me in the chest, sending me flying back again. This time however, the sword slipped from my grasp as I landed. A harsh cough escaped my throat as I tried standing back up, and the shadow picked up the blade.

"_Tell me, where are those 'friends' of yours? The ones you sacrificed yourself for, the ones that you deluded yourself into thinking you were saving. You didn't become the seal for them; you did it because it was what the world expected of you, and you were afraid of what they would say if you told them your fears."_ The shadow took a step closer, _"You were afraid that they would think less of you if you told them that you just couldn't do it. And now where are they? Gone, scattered across the winds. Each of them has moved on with their life, while you are still in the same place you were before you became the seal. Playing the hero because people need you to." _It took another step closer, gripping the sword tighter, _"And now another bunch want you to do the saving. What do we owe them, what do we owe society? NOTHING!"_

I managed to get back on my feet, but my breathing was ragged now. The shadow may have broken a rib or two with that last kick. It took another step closer, and I took a step back. A grim smile set itself on my face. The shadow had me.

**Meanwhile…**

"Sensei…" Teddie asked, turning to Yuu, "Do you know why it is so steamy in here? Does it have something to do with Kanji-kun?"

Yuu wiped another bead of sweat from his forehead, "I think I understand the hints…"

"Whoa! I just got the goosebumps! Something is on this floor." Teddie exclaimed.

Suddenly, the steam cleared out a bit as a person came into sight, clad only in a towel.

"K-Kanji!" Yosuke yelled, stepping back.

"Oooooh, my, my…Thank you for your undivided attention! At last, I've penetrated the facility! These images are coming to you live from this steamy paradise!" said Kanji into a mike, before frowning as he looked around, "But I've yet to have any charming encounters. Could this hot fog be the cause? It's like steam rising from my sweat! Mmmm, my body is tingling with excitement…" he said, turning and looking at Yosuke, before running off further in the steam…fog…dungeon. Sounds erupted around them, before disappearing again.

Yosuke promptly screamed and jumped into Yuu's arms, "Keep him away from me! This is wrong in so many ways!" Yosuke shouted before Yuu dumped him out of his arms.

"Yeah," said Chie, "I remember it being like this for Yukiko's show, too…"

"No it wasn't…" Yukiko weakly protested.

"Anyways," Yuu said, "Did you hear the voices just now? Who is it, there's only us and the victim in here."

"Maybe it's the people outside, watching?" Yosuke offered.

Chie shuddered, "If that's the case, then Kanji is going to be a legend in a way he never intended…"

Kanji's voice sounded out around us, "That elusive thing I truly yearn for... Will I finally find it here? Teehee! Well then, onward and deeper to reach further realms of romance! Let's get going, dammit!"

The group was silent for a minute until Yuu asked, "Teddie, do you know why he was acting like that?"

"It was his shadow self, showing his true feelings." Teddie said, before they all pushed onwards deeper into the fog. The group was ambushed by some shadows, and later fought a rather powerful one, but overall had encountered little resistance.

The little resistance had put Yuu on edge. Had Arisato actually come in ahead of them and wiped out the shadows that would have otherwise been in their way, and the ones that were there now had appeared after Arisato had gone ahead?

It made Yuu wonder just how powerful the older teen was.

"Sensei wait!" Teddie shouted, making the group pause. An intense look of concentration was on his face.

"What is it Teddie?"

The look was now replaced with one of worry tinged with fear, "There's…something, something powerful on the floor above us. I don't know what it is, it feels like a shadow. There's also another person on that floor."

Yukiko gasped, "Could it be Kanij-kun?"

Teddie shook his head, "I don't know. The power is sorta overpowering my nose…"

Yosuke patted him on the head, while Yuu looked further down the hallway. He could see stairs not too far away. It was likely Arisato on the floor above them, fighting a powerful shadow by the sound of it. Setting a determined expression on his face, Yuu turned to the group and said, "Come on. We have to press forward."

As they climbed the stairs, the steam became slightly clearer and a voice could be faintly heard.

"…_What do we owe them, what do we owe society? NOTHING! Just because we know how to use a persona and swing a sword around doesn't make us the only one they can go to! All we wanted was to be normal, and instead we became a martyr!"_

The group reached the top of the stairs to see Arisato clutching his chest, breathing hard, while a shadow approached him holding a sword.

Chie gasped, "Is that Minato-senpai's shadow?"

"Oh, shit…" Yosuke said, his eyes widening at the situation.

Yukiko gasped as well, and tears welled up in her eyes as the shadow continued raving at the world, revealing all of Minato's repressed feelings about his predicament.

Yuu gritted his teeth, and readied his sword. He recognized something in Arisato's eyes just now. An ember of defiance.

"_Just the world burn. We've done our part for society, and how were we thanked? Junpei left. Ken left. Koromaru left. Yukari left. Aigis left. Fuuka left. Akihiko left. Shinji died. Elizabeth took your place and made all that suffering amount to nothing."_ the shadow was now standing in front of Arisato, _"And the bitched we loved didn't even bother sticking around and try to—"_

"You're wrong," I rasped, making an effort to stand up to my full height, staring the shadow that shared my face in the eyes, "You have no FUCKING clue what you're talking about!"

The shadow grinned a sickly grin, eyes as filled with rage as they were before, _"Oh, but I do. I'm you, I know exactly how betrayed and angry you feel…"_

Yuu saw it again, the ember of defiance in Arisato's eyes. "Arisato, no—"

"You're not me!" I shouted, head butting the shadow, and then launching a fist for its gut, "You're not me! You're not me! You're not me!" I launched a flurry of punches at him, the last one sending him flying away from me. The creature simply got back up on its feet though, smiling even wider.

"_That's right, I'm not. I at least can face the facts, and have the strength to do so."_ The shadow said, before emitting a dark, blood red light. The sword was still clenched in its hand.

I finally noticed the group behind me, and Yuu's grim expression. Chie and Yosuke looked moderately horrified, and Yukiko had tears in her eyes. At a deep rumbling laughter, I turned back around, my eyes going wide.

The shadow transformed, adopting a bestial humanoid form. It was huge, and could best be described as having a lion's head, but with a mane of black fire. Its torso was muscular, and carved with runes and symbols, while six arms sprouted from its back. In one of its original arms, the sword it had taken from me had grown and was enveloped in black fire. Its legs resembled that of a lion's as well.

"_Let me show you the strength it takes to face reality."_

* * *

A/N: Well there it is, chapter 6. Minato has to face his shadow, and the group know what he thinks of what they're asking him.

If you're having trouble picturing his shadow, think Asura (from Asura's Wrath) plus a humanoid lion, and make them really tall. Except instead of six arms, there are eight.

**If someone could create a fan art of Minato's shadow, I'd be really appreciative**.

Read and review.


	7. Chapter 7

Here is chapter 7, up faster than normal. I'll see if I can't get chapter 8 up sometime in the next week and a half, because **then I'll be in China for 2 weeks**. But you guys are used to long periods between updates, aren't you?

A shout out to people who reviewed – blackfang27 (Thank you for pointing out that edit), Sacchin, Hiwasa Kana, Leomitch, KO, orangewaterbottles, Yuri18 y Tsuki500, lee007, TomoyaJintanUshio.

TomoyaJintanUshio – Yeah, the symbology between them is important to the story, especially since they're the two main characters. And while Messiah would've been a good idea, I went with something a little more in-theme with Persona 4. Hope you'll understand the reference.

* * *

Everyone stood gaping at the shadow, my shadow if one was to believe what Chie said. A reflection of myself, that was a concerning though. I grunted, getting back up to my feet, and brushed off my pants. That was ridiculous; there was no way that thing was me. Although…the words it said did strike a little close to home.

I turned to Narukami, "I don't suppose you have an extra sword on you by chance?" I asked. His only response was to throw one to me, and I caught it deftly.

"So," I started, "let's get rumbling."

"Wait, Arisato." Narukami called from behind me, with enough force in his voice to make me stop. "We should hang back, see if we can find a weakness," he stood at the ready, his persona floating behind him. I saw Chie and the others readying themselves as well. "We don't stand a chance against something like that unless we're cautious."

_"I am the shadow, the true self,"_ the shadow rumbled, making us all face it once again, _"Allow me to show you true power." _And with that, the shadow swung the flame cloaked sword at us.

"Izanagi!" shouted Narukami, his persona moving to halt the blade; Yosuke's joining in as well.

With the blade halted, I charged at the beast. All I would need is a stepping stone and I could get to its head. I ducked under a hand swipe, but missed the follow up and felt myself fly into one of the walls.

"Minato-senpai!" Yukiko shouted, casting a healing spell on me. I felt my bones begin to fix themselves and my ribs stop aching a bit. "Be careful, we can't just charge in. He'll just bat us away with the arms.

I got back up to my feet, and saw Narukami trying a variety of persona on the beast. Izanagi and its lightning. Pyro Jack and its flame. King Frost and its ice. I recognized the persona he was using; not too long ago I had been calling on them myself.

'_Thanatos, are you there?'_ I called out, hoping to hear an answer. The dark persona still did not answer me. _'Messiah? Orpheus?'_

I didn't have time to continue searching; the blade of fire was once again sweeping in my direction. I ducked under it, and then ran over to Narukami, who had been knocked down by one of the arms. "Back on your feet, Narukami," I said, pulling him up, "Any idea what this thing is weak to?"

He took a moment to breathe, before saying, "Well, it's your shadow. What do you like the least?"

I blinked, processing what he said, "That thing is not me, it's only a shadow," I scoffed, "I'll humor you though. Try wind; never been a big fan of big gusts."

"Yosuke!" Narukami yelled, grabbing the other boy's attention, "Try wind!"

Yosuke nodded, "Jiraiya, garula!"

The shadow gave a yowl of pain, dropping to one knee and propping itself up with the blade. It turned its attention to Yosuke, and narrowed its eyes. _"Pesky little fly,"_ it said, before using four arms and batting Jiraiya and Yosuke into a wall, taking them out of the fight, _"Learn your place before me."_

"I've got them, focus on the fight!" Yukiko shouted as she ran over to Yosuke, who was moaning in pain from the blow. After checking him over quickly, she shouted again, "He'll be fine, just hurry!"

'_Thanatos, please…where are you?'_ I screamed in my mind, desperately feeling out for any persona that I could call on. _'I need you, I need somebody!'_

"Focus, Arisato!" Narukami said, tackling me so my head wouldn't be taken off by the sword, "Don't go weirding out on me!"

I grunted and picked myself back up. Chie was directing her persona in the fight, but it seemed like Yosuke was the only one who had any penchant for wind. "Narukami, do you anything that can use wind or was Yosuke the only one?"

The grey haired boy narrowed his eyes in thought, then reached out and shouted, "Fortuna, garu!"

The persona materialized in front of us, and let loose the gales, not before the shadow smacked Chie with the flat side of the sword. She spiraled into one of the walls, clearly unconscious and out of the fight.

"Izanagi!" Narukami shouted charging and the downed shadow with his sword at the ready. "Attack it while it's down, Arisato!"

I nodded, and charged in as well. The bestial face glared up at me, and reached out to grab me with one of its arms. Weaving under it, and lunged forward with the sword and slashed the beast across the face while Narukami stabbed it.

_"Pests…Learn your place!"_ the beast shouted before sending us back with a shockwave, _"You can struggle and fight all you want, but still you're confined to what you are. You cannot change your roles in fate, no matter how fervently you believe otherwise." _The beast stood at its full height, and pulled out Narukami's sword, which had embedded itself in its cheek, _"You are doomed to amount to nothing, your efforts to prove fruitless," _the shadow said, looking down at me, _"You will die again, and it will be just as pointless as it was before. You won't save anyone. You can't save anyone."_

Narukami started to pull himself back up to his feet, but the beast leaned down to pick him, tossing him towards the wall. Yukiko screamed and ran over to him. It was me and it now.

_"The world relied on you, and you delivered; yet it cost you not only years of your life, but the life of a woman who loved you. This time, the world needs your help again. Yet will it just amount to you having to sacrifice yourself to create another seal to hold back these shadows, or whatever fell beast commands them?"_ the shadow was standing directly over me now, and all I could do was back away from it. The sword Narukami had thrown me laid too far away for me to grab.

"_Let the world burn. Maybe it will rise all the stronger from the ashes. Perhaps the world shall be purged of the negativity that created the shadows. The world doesn't need saving anymore."_ The shadow raised the sword above me, grasping it with all of its arms, _"Rest easy now. The burden of the world is no longer on your shoulders. You don't have to be the hero anymore; the world will burn without you."_

I watched the sword descend, growing closer and closer. My body was bruised and my ribs were broken again. Guess this really was it…

_'**Are you really giving up that easily?' **_a voice resounded in my head, time seemingly stopping as the blade halted feet from my head, _**'Do you remember why you wanted to become the hero in the first place?'**_

'_Wha-?'_

'_**What made you decide to create the seal?'**_

My mind flashed back to the times at the dorms, Akihiko, Shinji, Junpei, Koromaru, Yukari, Ken, Fuuka, Aigis, Kazushi, Yuko, Chihiro, Mutatsu, Maya, all of my friends from those times…and most of Mitsuru.

'_I wanted to save my friends,'_ I answered, being honest with the voice, _'I wanted to make sure they pulled through…I wanted to keep Mitsuru smiling.'_

'_**Those aren't bad reasons for wanting to be the hero at all, aren't they? And if you die here, who will protect them? Do you trust anyone else to be able to make that kind of sacrifice again? Would you let anyone else make that sacrifice? So come one, get back up; I know you have it in you.'**_

The voice sounded strangely familiar and felt as though it had been with me before, _'Messiah?'_

A light chuckle filled my mind, _**'Not quite, but a fair enough assumption. I'll help pull you through this mess just this once, alright Minato?'**_

"MINATO!" Yuu shouted, having returned to consciousness just as the blade came swinging down at the blue haired boy. Chie and Yosuke stirred earlier, and watched in muted horror as the blade came ever closer to slicing the boy in half.

Yuu hurriedly tried to summon Izanagi to block the sword, but blinding light filled the area, forcing him to have to cover his eyes. After a brief moment, Yuu could see a vague outline of a man stopping the sword with his hand, turning a speaking something to Minato. The light then condensed around the figure's hand, leaving Yuu enough time to catch a glimpse of a butterfly mask before an explosion rocked the area.

As the dust cleared, Yuu saw Minato standing back up, while the shadow reverted back to its original form. Minato looked around for a brief second, then started walking towards the shadow.

"Yukiko," Yuu rasped, "Help me up please." Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he began walking slowly in the direction of Minato and the shadow.

"You know," Yukiko started, "That's the first time you called Minato-sempai by his first name."

Yuu just grunted, and saw Chie and Yosuke approaching as well from the corner of his eyes. Chie was helping Yosuke with a bad limp. Yuu could also hear Teddie's tell-tale squeaking footsteps behind him.

They all watched in silence as Minato stared down at his shadow, which was breathing with ragged breaths. The blue haired man approached the shadow, and stared down at it.

"…What you said was true," I started, making eye contact with the shadow that shared my face, "I did think it was unfair that I had to die to make the seal, when most of the world didn't even know what was going on. To make matters worse, they all lost their memories of Tartarus until the end of the year. It wasn't fair at all." I clenched my fists, ignoring the pain of my nails digging into my palm, "And now it seemed like I would have to do it all over again."

"Minato…" Yuu said, making an attempt to stand on his own.

"But it won't come to that again. I didn't want to be the hero; I just wanted to be normal. You were right all along. But 'normal' is relative," I said, looking back at the people assembled behind me. My eyes made contact with Yuu's, and we reached an understanding with one another, "I was normal back then with S.E.E.S., and I'm normal now still. I was never the hero, I was just a part of the team. I understand that now."

I looked back down at the shadow that shared my face, my shadow. It had a pleased expression in its eyes, and the rage had left its eyes. I stood over it and offered my hand to it, pulling it back up to its feet. I looked it in the eyes, "You are me. I am you. You're what I've been bottling up and not facing."

It smiled, not one of sick amusement or deranged insanity, but a smile of pride, the pride one feels when a particular challenge has been overcome. "Very good," it said, before a light enveloped it.

When the light stopped shining, a figure floated where the shadow once was. I looked the group, who simply nodded as if this was supposed to happen, and then I faced the persona.

It had red tinged skin that was lined with runes, and a sword sat idly on its waist. Baggy pants and a muscular torso led to dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Completely white eyes stared back at me, and you could feel the power, fiery and unrelenting, emanating from it.

"_**I am Kagu-tsuchi, advent of death and fire, born at the end of the creation of the world**__,"_ its eyes flickered to Yuu for a brief moment, then focused back on me, _**"Use my power to face the world."**_

And with that, the persona disappeared and I felt the weight of persona in my soul return to me. I briefly searched to Thanatos, or any of the others, but nothing immediately surfaced. I would ponder it later, since it seemed the others were waiting on me to say something.

"Well…" I said, turning around, "I suppose an explanation is in order, isn't it?"

Yuu held up his hand, "Not right now; tell us when you're ready," his eyes narrowed, and I picked up the unspoken message. He would have me explain at some point, "I think we're all pretty beaten for today. Yosuke, how many days until it rains?"

"If I remember right, we've got a good week or two," Yosuke said, before giving a yelp of pain, "Ouch! Dammit, Chie, watch how hard you squeeze!"

I chuckled softly, noting how badly my ribs hurt. At least the girl had the decency to blush.

"Let's get out of here," Teddie said. We all readily voiced our agreement.

* * *

"So," Yuu started as he sat at the edge of the of my hospital bed, "You want to explain what that shadow was talking about?"

Without Orpheus to patch me up, and Yukiko herself had been to exhausted, I had little choice but to head to the hospital. "Well, it's kind of a long story," I said, trying to dodge the question.

"Then make it short."

"But then you'd miss all the cliff hangers and juicy bits – really, it would be better to wait."

"Minato…"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I really didn't want to do this now. "I'm serious Yuu, I really don't feel up to telling the tale right now. Suffice to say, it has to do with my knowledge about the shadows and my 'death'." I held up a hand to keep him from protesting, "You'll find out in due time."

Yuu nodded, a little disgruntled, but let the topic slide. "There's another thing I'm curious about though, what was that persona you summoned when your shadow was about to kill you, the one with the butterfly mask?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "It just sort of appeared out of nowhere. Didn't really seem like a persona either, it felt like it was acting of its own accord."

Yuu nodded, seeming deep in thought, "The mask, from the bit I could see, resembled the butterflies that I see near the Velvet Room and in the TV."

I waved him off, "Don't think too deep on it. More importantly, you need to go back into the shadow world and get Tatsumi out. The doctors said my ribs aren't in a great condition, so I'm stuck here for a couple days while they watch them."

Yuu nodded, then stood to get up, "You want your schoolwork?" he asked.

"Eh, I'm not worried about exams at all, but sure, pick it up for me."

"I'll see if I can't get someone to bring it if I can't."

I nodded back to him, "Thanks. Tell Daidara I'll be back at work soon. Don't look at me like that, there's only one place in this town to get weapons like those."

Yuu gave a careless wave and walked out of the door of my room, deftly avoiding a nurse who I heard calling his name from out in the hallway.

I regarded the doorway where Yuu just was. Something had changed between us, not as much animosity anymore. A respect of power had replaced it, a feeling of reliability in a tight spot replacing it.

'_Thanatos, are you there?'_

_**He is not here**_, Kagu-tsuchi answered, _**His presence was gone long before I was here.**_

I frowned, that was very concerning…and upsetting. Thanatos had been a constant with me, always there, even if I didn't know it. He was also the only one who had stood by me the whole time during the seal.

'_Kagu-tsuchi, can you see if you can sense him, or perhaps go out and find him?'_

_**As you wish,**_ the quiet persona said, before receding from mind. I let out a sigh, my heart feeling slightly emptier from the dark persona's absence.

I closed my eyes, best get some rest. The more rest I get, the sooner I get out of here.

I hate hospitals.

* * *

"Miss Kirijo, I have news for you."

"Yes, what is it?"

"There's been a hit on that name, Arisato Minato."

* * *

Well, there is chapter 7. Mitsuru now knows that somebody is using that name, whether or not its him is unknown. A confrontation...we'll see how soon it comes along. I've ALWAYS sucked at writing those kinds of scenes.**  
**

Thank you those of you who stuck through to and past this chapter; I'm sure that fight scene was painful to read.

Review.


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